Stealing Fire From The Gods

Stealing Fire From The Gods

Authored by Glenn Perry Ph.D

Description

Research is about discerning patterns, discovering regularities, and proposing laws to explain those patterns and regularities. Yet, the truths of astrology are so complex, subtle and elusive, that designing an experiment to capture them is like stealing fire from the gods—a Promethean challenge if ever there was one. This book is about ways to employ arguments in the making of responsible knowledge claims in the field of astrology. It is also about methodological myths—erroneous assumptions that corrupt research, result in flawed designs, and lead to false results that damage astrology’s credibility. I discuss how the experimental method is inadequate for testing astrology because it derives from a paradigm that is too narrow and restrictive. To properly research astrology requires an accurate understanding of how it works—and this means understanding the organic paradigm to which it belongs. Postmodern science is moving in this direction. Accordingly, new methods of research are presented—phenomenology, hermeneutics, and the case study method—that are consistent with postmodern science and have the necessary flexibility and perspective to illuminate the subtle contours of the astrological model. These qualitative methods provide a means for demonstrating how astrology actually works. If we are to convincingly demonstrate the validity of astrology, we must be careful to use methods that are consistent with the model we are investigating, and that do not stack the deck against the very subject we hope to vindicate.

Publication Date:

May 4, 2012

Page Count:

107

Size:

8.5″ x 11″

About the author: Glenn Perry, Ph.D. is a professional astrologer and licensed psychotherapist in Haddam Neck, Connecticut. Dr. Perry is founder of the Academy of AstroPsychology, an online school that offers courses and training in psychological astrology. He has written eight books and lectures internationally on the application of astrology to the fields of counseling and psychotherapy.